Seasons of Love
by samuraigurl1213
Summary: A occassion for every holiday... Easter ... He could think of plenty of other things he’d want to do with the icing... what happens when things get hot in the kitchen... UY.
1. New Year's

New Years

_1-1_

For a school which boast of its reputation for being the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop, the lion's share of schools, the best education that money could buy, Kadic's way of distributing news was rather… well, to be honest, it sucked.

Things weren't displayed for them on TVs like at some of those other schools (they didn't even _have _TVs… well they did, but teachers had to sign up for them days in advance, they were still on _rolling carts _and they had _VCRs_). Announcements were hardly anything more than just a scratchy, tinny call which barely reverberated throughout a classroom, much less the whole school itself. They were short and to the point.

So, when the distant sound of someone screeching out the latest news came on the morning announcements, no one paid much attention. After all announcements were hardly worthy of an ear to listen to.

"… and tonight there will be a New Year's Ball-"

There was the sound of some screaming in the background, and another person, much closer to the microphone coughed.

"Excuse me, I mean New Year's _Bash_."

Some more yelling.

"Everyone is required to bring their own New Years Resolution to the ball- _excuse me _bash- which is located in the gym. Have a Happy New Years!"

Aelita turned to Jeremy, "That sounds like fun, doesn't it?" 

Jeremy shrugged in a noncommittal way, after all, he had long since learned not to pay attention to the announcements, "If you say so." 

"What sounds like fun?" Odd asked, poking his head out. (He was always destined to sit behind Aelita and Jeremy it seemed. He bet he would die sitting next to Ulrich.)

"The New Year's Bash," Aelita said with a roll of her eyes. Honestly, was she the only one who paid the announcements any mind?

Odd's eyes lit up, as Ulrich, next to him, rolled his eyes, "They're actually _having _one this year!" He began to babble (and bubble, bubble with joy), "I mean, I _suggested _one last year but I had no idea that they would actually _consider _it. I should get an _award _or something-"

"Yes," Aelita replied, cutting him off, "It's going to be in the gym. And everyone's got to bring resolutions with them. Don't you guys _ever _listen to the announcements?" Aelita said, rolling her eyes once more.

"No," the three boys said simultaneously, laughing.

---

"Hey Yumi," Odd said with a smile as she clunked her tray down, "You going to the bash tonight?"

Yumi's face went blank, "Excuse me?" 

"See," he said, turning to Aelita, victoriously, "We're not the only ones who listen to the announcements, you're just the only one who does." 

Aelita huffed, "Lucky for you, or you'd have no idea what was going on." 

Yumi turned to Ulrich, "What bash?"

"Some New Year's thing Sissi cooked up," Odd began to mumble about the unfairness of it all, her getting _his _well deserved credit, but everyone ignored Odd and his mumblings. They happened much too frequently and held far too little truth for anyone to may him much mind, "We all go watch the ball drop, drink some punch, dance, you know just like a regular dance- except with a theme."

"And," Aelita chirped in, "You've got to bring a New Year's Resolution with you."

Yumi laughed, "That sounds like some Sissi would cook up."

"Yeah," Ulrich agreed, and paused a few moments in an attempt to seem not as desperate as he felt, "So you going?"

Yumi laughed again, "Sure. Why not? I've got nothing else to do tonight." 

Ulrich beamed at her, hoping that all of his gratefulness transferred into his grin in that moment.

---

It was nine thirty. The flashing lights were already giving Ulrich a headache, and so far the dance had been a complete let down. He had spent the last three hours leaning up against a wall next to Jeremy.

Thank you very much, but he could have done that in the comfort of his own dorm room.

Ulrich downed his fifth cup of punch that night, turning to Jeremy, his fellow wall flower, "Where do you think Yumi is?"

Jeremy glared at him, tearing his eyes away from the pink DJ, "I don't know, my guess would be the same place she was when you asked me _five seconds ago_." He hissed.

Ulrich stared at his empty cup, "Yeah..." he said slowly, "That would make sense."

Jeremy snorted, "What's _in _that punch you're drinking?"

"I don't know, but it sure is good. Better than normal."

Jeremy snorted again, "That's probably because it's spiked." 

Ulrich simply shrugged.

---

It was ten o' five.

Ulrich was now on his seventh cup of punch, anxious, and yet much more mellow at the same time.

"Jeremy, you don't think anything's–"

Jeremy held up his hand to stop Ulrich, he had experienced this conversation three times in the last thirty minutes. Five times in the last hour. Nine times this entire night.

"Ulrich, I am sure Yumi's fine. She's probably just running late. Or stuck in traffic. Or eating dinner. She'll be here. Soon."

Ulrich looked at the floor, scowling. He opened his mouth, "Are–"

"Ulrich, I swear to God, if you ask me one more time…" Jeremy trailed off. He actually really wasn't sure how to finish that threat. He paused for a moment. There really wasn't much _Jeremy _could threaten _Ulrich _with. The thought was depressing, "… or I will… stop forcing you to do your Biology homework!"

Ulrich snickered, "Oh no Jeremy! Even you wouldn't be cruel enough!"

"But I _would_ be cruel enough to stop talking to you until Yumi gets here."

That shut Ulrich up.

---

Ten fifty three. Still no Yumi. Not a text, not a call, not a pigeon with a note tied to it's leg. _Nothing_.

Nine and a half cups of punch down.

Ulrich opened his mouth.

"She will be here Ulrich. She's fine." Jeremy said with a sigh. He waited two seconds, "Yes I am sure." Another two seconds, "In fact I'm absolutely positive."

Ulrich took another sip of punch.

---

Eleven o' two.

He looked at his watch, "It's eleven Jeremy."

Jeremy sighed, love made desperate fools out of them all, "I'm aware of that fact Ulrich, seeing as there is a giant clock projected onto the wall opposite of us."

"_Where _could she be?"

Jeremy sighed once more, looked up briefly for a moment, seemingly uttering some sort of prayer, and pointed dead ahead, "Perhaps walking right towards us."

Ulrich glared at Jeremy, "Thanks Jer for being all so understanding." 

"Hey, I was understanding the first ten times you asked me, but around the eighty third, even the most patient person would begin to feel their resolve thinning."

Ulrich wiped the glare off of his face almost immediately, and replaced it with a wide smile, one fit for greeting royalty, "Hey Yumi."

She smiled, "I hope I'm not too late, I had to spend an hour explaining to my parents why I was heading out… and then…" she blushed, not wanting to mention how long it had taken her to put together a suitable outfit.

"It's not problem," Ulrich said as Jeremy rolled his eyes, "You're not too late for _my _tastes."

The three stood their awkwardly for a few moments. Ulrich, glancing at Yumi but trying not to seem too obvious. Yumi, glancing at Ulrich but trying not to seem too obvious about it. Jeremy, keeping his glance steady with the girl up on the stage making those intoxicating mixes.

And finally, she couldn't bare it a moment longer, "Hey Ulrich, would you like to dance?"

He smiled gratefully, "Sure." 

Yumi glanced at Jeremy. The look said it all. It was a "Are you going to be okay? And don't say no because I will kill you," type of look.

Jeremy caught the translation. Whether it be by luck or chance or by his own selfish means, he caught it.

He shook his head, "I'm fine, I'm just enjoying the show. Plus, I have a better view of Aelita from here."

Yumi laughed, "As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Ulrich finished his (what was it now, twelfth cup?) of punch nervously and threw it on the ground, after all, this way it could keep the other trash company so it wouldn't be lonely in the empty trash can, "Let's go Yumes."

Jeremy grabbed her arm before she walked off, "Thank God you came here when you did Yumes, I was about to _kill _him."

Yumi just shot him a smile, "No problem Jeremy, but we'll be back soon."

"Please, don't bring him back that soon. Give me at least ten minutes of peace and quiet. I beg of you."

She laughed, when Ulrich suddenly appeared again by her side, "You coming or not Yumi?"

"Coming. Sorry."

And the two walked out to the dance floor.

There was nothing magical about it, really.

They'd done it- walking together- so many other times before, it was just like walking to the next class together. And it wasn't like they had never danced together before- they made a habit out of dancing together at every dance.

But that didn't stop either one of them from feeling this odd, tingly feeling (it was uncomfortable, it was exciting, it was _them_) as they walked out to that dance floor. They may have been dead- center in the spotlight, in the midst of everyone and their date, but they found it easy to pretend it was just them, alone in their own world.

She smiled, moving effortlessly, "So what have you been doing while I was gone?"

He shrugged, talking and dancing was much too hard for him to concentrate properly on both at the same time, "Pretty much standing there with Jer. Drinking punch."

She raised an eyebrow, "You were kept occupied for two hours by drinking punch?"

"It was good punch," he protested.

"It was _strong _punch," she corrected with a smile.

He shrugged.

"I saw Odd spiking it," she supplied.

He shrugged again. He didn't care. He felt _good. _He felt brave. He felt _invincible_.

She smiled again at him.

And for a while, they didn't say much more. Dancing with one another was enough… in fact, it was almost like its own form of communication.

She'd shimmy, he'd do the box step (there wasn't much else he knew how to do), she'd twirl, he'd shift his feet, she'd throw her hands up in the air and he'd do all he could to stop his jaw from hitting the floor.

But before long, he felt the pulls of temptation and punch. The room was getting much too hot, he had to break this trance. He had to break it fast.

He gulped, he needed to keep himself preoccupied-

"So, Yumi, what was your New Years Resolution?"

She blushed, managing to keep the talk and the rhythm at the same time, "What was yours?"

He wagged his finger at her, "No, no, no I asked you first, remember?"

"A woman's got to keep some mystery about herself," she said, still blushing, still dancing, "And I bet you don't even have one," she added teasingly.

He was never more serious in his life, and he pulled a slip of paper out of his jacket, "I _always _have a New Years Resolution. Don't you?"

She twirled before answering him, "That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you."

He leaned in closer, "You should," he whispered.

And it was something, perhaps the adrenaline, perhaps the fact their bodies were so close, perhaps it was the punch (or, more so what was _in_ the punch), or maybe it was one of the _other _bodies that surrounded them, that pushed them even closer.

But it was in that moment, when Ulrich looked in her eyes, and he saw exactly what he needed to see, and okay, so it was definitely the punch that made him do it but for whatever reason…

Ulrich closed that final distance, there mere millimeters they were apart from each other, touched his lips against her.

And even though it was barely anything at all, just a light brushing, and they both knew it was practically a throwaway kiss, it felt like so much more. _Ulrich _could feel his toes curling up inside his shoes. He hadn't ever been so affected by a kiss, much less a kiss this chaste.

He pulled back. Checking her eyes warily (he could always blame it on the punch, she'd buy that wouldn't she?) he found they were still closed. She opened them slowly and smiled at him.

He couldn't help it, he grinned back, and went to lean in for another kiss…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Odd appeared (he always had this horrid sense of comedic timing about it, Ulrich had no idea how he managed it). "You've never been great with timing Ulrich! Midnight's in ten minutes!" Odd cried out, in that high-pitched mocking voice of his, snickering.

He pulled back, smiling at Yumi and saw her face turn ten different shades of red at being caught, kissing, in the middle of a dance floor, ten minutes before midnight (he was sure his was as well).

It was then that Sissi came up (she and Odd must have the same frequency tapped, the one that told them when to show up at the most inconvenient time possible). She touched Ulrich on the shoulder, in that insistent way of hers, in hopes to position herself for midnight's kiss.

Yumi saw the flinch that passed over his face as he felt that tap, and giggled a bit, because really, what else could she do?

He turned around slowly, hoping it was just Odd.

It wasn't.

Sissi, for one, had been practicing this moment for a while. She figured she'd start a conversation with Ulrich, and he'd forget the midnight was coming, so caught up in their intense conversation. Then, the clock would suddenly sound, and she'd kiss him. Or maybe, he'd kiss her. She could just hear herself saying, 'Oh, well, you know, it _is _tradition after all, I'm not one to break tradition…'

"Hello Ulrich dear, what's your New Years Resolution?" she asked, attempting to coat her voice with sugar. The effect was rather bittersweet and rather appalling.

"It doesn't matter much now," a faint smile appeared on his face, "I already did it." He said, as he grabbed Yumi's hand, "See you at school Sissi." He waved with his free hand and proceeded to drag Yumi off to the side of the floor.

Yumi giggled some more, not minding being pulled away, "Yeah, see you at school Sissi."

She felt her jaw drop _what was going on_.

Odd threw an arm over Sissi's shoulder, "It's not your fault, they're inevitable. You couldn't have done anything to stop it."

---

Off on the side of room, back positioned against a wall, Ulrich drew Yumi up against him. He quirked an eyebrow, "Where were we?"

Yumi pulled a face, "Oh I don't know… right about here."

She kissed him in a way that was most _certainly _not chaste. And he found himself long gone in the taste of Yumi's lips. And she in his.

And they remained that way for long past midnight.


	2. Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

"Hi," she said, breathless, as she opened the door.

He smiled hesitantly, hands in pockets, and a general air of nervousness about him, "Hi… Yumi."

There was a moment of silence, where the entire weight of decisions and a world crashing down about them could be heard.

And then, Yumi stepped forward.

Mind you, this wasn't just a normal step. It wasn't a side step, or a small step, but a giant step. And step that lead her right into Ulrich, only a millimeter or two.

And she whispered, lips brushing his, "Thank you for the gifts."

And then, the weight of decisions came crashing down on them…

And never had either party felt so happy.

---

Exasperation.

"Odd I can't believe you'd do such a thing!"

Indignation.

"What? He said he wasn't going to give you a gift so I figured you deserved something, a girl as… special to him as you are. Tell me the truth now, it was the card with the chocolate that did it. Wasn't it?"

Confusion.

"What?"

Contentment.

"You know. Where I talked about how much it pained me- I mean Ulrich- to look at you, and how much in love Ulrich was with you. It's what finally sealed the deal, wasn't it?" 

Anxiety.

"You did _what_?"

Explanation.

"I mean, I know it didn't really come from Ulrich's hand, per say, but it's the words his heart has been longing to write, only his brain didn't have the guts. So really, it _was _from Ulrich-"

Aggravation.

"Odd you dunce! I _gave _her something for Valentine's Day."

Bewilderment.

"But you told me-"

Anger.

"I know what I told you, but-"

Tranquility.

"Ulrich." 

Rage.

"What?" 

Panic.

"Does it really matter? He was only trying to help, and either way, it doesn't change anything between _us_. Right?"

Mortification.

"No."

Satisfaction.

"Good. Because I don't want anything to change."

Protesting.

"Change is sometimes good!"

Assurance.

"I kind of like where we are right now." 

Agreement.

"Me too. I like it a lot."

Happiness.

"And I don't want it to change ever."

Exasperation.

"You try to do something nice and it backfires…"

---

She was the first to break away. The first to initiate, the first to stop. He supposed that had set the tone in their relationship.

He noticed, rather pleased with himself about it, that it took her a few moments to gain her breath, and even as she spoke she seemed to be getting more and more out of breath, "Thanks for the roses… and the other stuff," Yumi said bashfully, looking down at her feet, no idea of where to go from here. But she felt it needed to be said.

"Other stuff?" Ulrich asked, staring at her blankly, happy he was not panting as much as her, though, he was not exempt from it, it had been quite the work out indeed, "You mean the card?" 

"No…" she drawled out, looking at him for the first time to shoot him a hesitant look, "I mean the cards… and the… the rice… and chocolate… and the stuffed animal…" she trailed off as the blank look on Ulrich's face increased to the point where she could've easily used him as a slate- if she had had the need for one, of course.

"What are you talking about Yumi?"

She looked at him, disturbed, perturbed and most of all _confused_, "Didn't you send me all of that?"

"Um… no… I sent you the roses and the cards…" 

Yumi blinked, incoherently trying to form sentences, "But you… they… your… they… signed your name…" 

When his face did not light up in recongization, Yumi's lit up in worry and alarm. He looked at her for a moment, before Yumi did finally see that look of recongization.

He growled.

"What?" Yumi asked blinking at him.

He grabbed her hand, "Come on," he said, "I know _exactly _who we can blame all this on."

He had pulled her halfway down the steps before he turned back, "One last thing, before we go." 

She cocked her head, not quite sure _what _was going through his head, she liked to think it was her who had made him so crazy, "Wha-?"

With a smile that seemed to be perpetually pasted on Ulrich's face, he quickly pulled her into his arms and soundly kissed her till he could not stand it a moment longer.

Due to the fact both were rather fit- as attempting to save the world will do to a person- it was while till either emerged, out of breath, happily so.

---

_Ring. _

_Ring._

_Ring._

"I'll get it," Yumi called out to no one in particular, seeing as how no one was there. Well, except her little brother, but he was still half asleep on the couch, and Yumi hardly counted him when he was conscious.

Humming for no known reason, Yumi answered the door, smiling when she was greeted with the sight of a dozen red roses. 

"Sign please," the man said, thrusting out a clipboard and a pen with a look of disgust on his face.

Smiling, Yumi excepted the bouquet, as graciously as a beauty contestant, "Thank you," she said, every bit that beauty contestant.

The man murmured something indecipherable, which Yumi took to be a "You're welcome," even though it probably was something very far from that.

In response, Yumi (quickly) closed the door with a hesitant smile, and hurried back to the kitchen to set the flowers in their proper environment- a vase of water.

She never made it that far.

Humming, Yumi lifted the flowers to her nose and breathed in heavily. Roses were always her favorite. Smiling angelically, she placed the flowers on the table, getting ready to get a vase for those beautiful flowers when-

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring._

Yumi blinked, a little confused, but hurriedly opened the door once more, greeted with the sight of the same delivery man, "Erm, hello again?" she said, titling her head to the side with a slightly queasy smile on her face. _Why was he back again?_

The man grunted out something similar to a greeting, and held out the clipboard and pen once more.

Yumi signed, taking the rather odd gift out of the man's arms and once more thanking him, before closing the door.

She stared at it for a moment. It was some odd sort of stuffed animal. Perhaps a bear? Crossed with a dog of some sort? And with a monkey's ears? She squinted, attempting to make out the animal's breed.

Yumi shook her head, and opened the heart shaped card resting in the odd animal's (… paws, hands, fists of fury...)

_You're an animal._

_Love,_

_Ulrich_

Yumi stared at the card for a little longer, attempting to decipher the meaning of such a message. She didn't have much time for that sort of thing because within the next ten seconds-

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring._

Yes, the door again.

She put the stuffed animal on the kitchen table, and, once again, Yumi went through the same charade with the delivery man, before receiving yet another untraditional gift-

Rice.

A box of rice- on Valetnine's Day.

Yumi looked at it suspiciously, before opening the card attached to the box.

_I'm sure you taste good with butter and salt too._

_Love,_

_Ulrich_

Yumi was beginning to question the sanity of Ulrich…

With a sigh, she went back to the kitchen, and put the box of rice away in the cabinet. Someone in her family mines well get _some _use out of it she thought-

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

Yumi restrained the urge to roll her eyes, and trudged back to the door.

"Erm… hello… again?" Yumi said cautiously, eying the man with distaste.

The man stuck out the clipboard and pen, "You know the drill by now. And no need to thank me. I don't think you'd want to thank anyone for _these _gifts."

Yumi smiled hesitantly, signing and taking the heart shaped box from the man. With the current trend in gifts, it would probably be something awful like a box full of cheese.

_What was going on?_

She thanked the man once more, and told him, in the nicest way she could manage, that she hoped he would never darken her doorstep again.

She placed the box on the kitchen table, scrutinizing it, when she spotted the roses. They were innocent, lying next to heart shaped box. With yet another sigh, Yumi picked up the roses and went to finish filling up the vase- after all, the roses had never done anything to hurt her.

And out fell a card.

She bit her lip, how bad could it be? It _couldn't _be worse than the other cards… maybe she'd get a laugh out of this one… 

She placed the roses in the vase, and picked up the card.

_Yumi,_

_I'm sorry I'm not really good at this stuff, but I figured a girl like you deserves something on Valentine's Day._

_Ulrich_

Yumi smiled.

---

"So…," he said, propping himself up on an elbow, and raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing for that special somebody?"

Ulrich turned so he wasn't facing Odd, and pulled the covers over his head in an attempt to drown out Odd's unnaturally high pitched voice, "Odd, I have no idea what you're talking about," he said in the most sincere voice he could muster.

Odd made a disbelieving noise, "Of course you do," he waited a few moments for Ulrich to make a confession that he knew _exactly _what he was talking about and that he had given severe thought about it. Ulrich did not such thing, so Odd felt as if he had to take matters into his own hands, "Valentine's Day!"

"Yeah. What about it?" 

Odd could've pulled his hair out. Really. If he didn't love his hair so much, and if he had only loved Ulrich more… "It's in _two _days."

"So?" Ulrich stressed, feigning blindness.

"Yumi!" Odd interjected. 

Ulrich sighed, and in his most patronizing voice replied, "Yes Odd. Yumi. What about her?" 

Odd rolled his eyes and spoke in a painstakingly slow voice, "Yumi," he said, enunciating each syllable, "Valentine's Day."

"What about them?" 

"Stop it!" Odd replied, quite put out with the whole charade, "What are you doing for Valentine's Day for Yumes?"

Ulrich turned and looked at Odd, "Nothing."

"What?" Odd replied flabbergasted. He had the beginnings of an aneurysm coming on. How could Ulrich _not _be doing something to woo the love of his life? Ulrich, the shining knight in armor, the hero, the lovesick puppy, how could he not be milking this opportunity for all it was worth?

Ulrich sighed, tired of his explanation in so many ways, "Odd, Yumi and I are just friends."

"OK, I'm going to completely ignore that, because you and I both know that's bullshit."

Ulrich frowned, "It's not-"

"Get to the real reason."

Ulrich hesitated for a moment before complying, "Well… you remember last Valentine's Day? When I tried to write a poem for Yumi?"

"If you can even call _that _poetry," Odd replied with a chuckle.

"Exactly. It was awful- and I ended up reading it to Sissy. I'm not going to go through all of that again. Plus," he added in a much quieter voice, "That's not Yumi's style."

Odd raised his eyebrow, "What was that last part?" he asked, even though he had heard it perfectly well the first time around- Ulrich didn't need to know that.

Ulrich sighed, why had he even started? "It's not really her style, you know she wouldn't want something so… cliché… and even if she did… I don't know… it's just…"

"You're too big of a sissy?" Odd paused for a moment, "Hey… that was a pun!"

Ulrich groaned, "Very clever Odd."

"Anyways, there's no real reason why you shouldn't do it, all that stuff you just said, it was just because you're afraid," Odd countered.

Ulrich glared, "You know, I like you much better when you're coming up with lame puns."

"Shut up. You're just mad I'm right. It's understandable. You're just jealous- that I'm right. All the time." 

Ulrich groaned once again, "Odd, just get on with your point." Why was he encouraging him?

"Where was I? Oh right, Ulrich, you know Yumes loves that kind of stuff. Eats it right up. The clichés just have to be balanced out with a little… personality. You know? A little bit of uniqueness. And you've got to have romance! And how much more romantic can you get than Valentine's Day?"

Ulrich paused for a moment, before continuing on in a sea of doubt, "I don't know Odd… no. I'm not going to. I've already made up my mind. After last year… and Yumi just wants to be friends…"

Odd snorted, "Maybe that's what she told _you_."

"What do you mean by that?" Ulrich asked sharply.

Odd sighed, now he understood why Ulrich was in danger of failing half his classes, "What's she supposed to say, she's madly in love with you?" 

"That would be nice."

"It's not her style," Odd mimicked, but sobered up quickly, "You've got to be the first one Ulrich." 

"Odd we've been through this."

There was silence for a few moments, "So you're really not going to get her anything for Valentine's Day?"

Ulrich turned away, "Nope. Goodnight Odd."

Odd glared at Ulrich's back, if Ulrich wasn't going to do anything that Odd might just have to make him do something.


	3. Easter

Easter

Easter

He grunted, "I don't get why you had to bake a bunny cake…" He said, as he glared around at the area know generally as the kitchen.

She sighed, "Ulrich, I've already explained this to you… how many times?"

"Four."

"Right. Four. I don't think I should have to explain it again," she said, attempting to hide the smile at his antics, as she went to retrieve the bowl.

He shrugged as a bowl was thrust into his hands, "Still, Yumes, you know you have a lot of good- no great- qualities, but, baking isn't one of your strongest suits.'

She smiled sweetly at him, "That's why I asked you to help."

He looked at her for a couple minutes, as if scrutinizing her to make sure no one had replaced her body with a Polymorphic clone, "You know this cake is going to turn out to be a disaster, right?"

"I think it will be a masterpiece."

He snorted, "I think you'll be wrong."

_5/ 4 cups of flour_

"Alright, Ulrich, the first thing we need to do is mix all the dry ingredients together-" Yumi began, using the voice she normally left for Odd and Odd alone.

He sighed, he didn't appreciate the tone, "I know that much Yumi, I just need to know the _measurements_."

"Right, you need 5/4 cup of flour."

"Alright…" he said, heading to the pantry in a mad search for flour, "Flour… flour… flour… aha!"

She rolled her eyes, and bent back over the recipe, "That's very good Ulrich, now measure."

"No problem," he replied, ignoring the Odd tone of voice she had used again.

She looked up just in time to see Ulrich with a heaping cup full of flour, "Ulrich that is _not _a cup."

"What do you mean that's not a cup? It says '1 cup' right on the side."

"Ulrich, you have to fill it up all the way-"

"Right, that's what I did."

"Ulrich," she sighed, she was going to need more patience than was virtuous, "That's about two cups right there."

"No it isn't," he protested.

"You have to make it _flat_."

"I was adding the extra for the 1/4 cup!"

"These things have to be _precise_, not estimations."

He grumbled, "Fine, fine, hand me a knife."

"Why?" she replied suspiciously.

"So I can kill you with it, what do you think? So I can smooth it out, make it 'flat'."

She handed it to him, "You be careful with that."

"I always am," he said with a smile.

She eyed him, "I still remember the time when you ran with scissors."

"That was a long time ago," he replied breezily.

"Ulrich, that was five minutes ago."

"You said you needed them in a hurry!" he said, as he dumped the perfectly measured cup in the bowl.

Yumi smiled, "See Ulrich that wasn't so-" the smile slid off her face in an instant.

"What?"

Yumi went over to the bowl, stuck a finger in, and licked the white powder off of it. Glaring and steaming mad, she turned to him, "Ulrich, that was _sugar_."

"They all look so similar!" he protested, but even she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

_3 tbsp. cocoa powder_

"Hand me the cocoa powder."

He did as she bid, "You know Yumi," he said offhandedly, leaning against the counter as he watched her bent over the bowl with an intense look of concentration, "I am capable of handling the most basic instructions.

"I know, that's why I'm telling you to hand me the cocoa powder," she took the cocoa powder from him, "Thank you, now the teaspoons."

He scoffed, "That was rather rude."

"I _said _thank you."

"But you _didn't _say please." 

Yumi rolled her eyes and held out her hand, "Ugh, please hand me the teaspoons."

"I mean I'm the one helping _you _here."

"Teaspoons, Ulrich, now, please."

"Pushy, pushy."

"Ulrich!" she scolded.

"I'm _getting _them," and with a scowl that didn't quite make it up to his eyes, he handed them to her.

She smiled charmingly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She offered the spoon toward him, "You can stir if you want."

"Oh boy, can I?" he said, fake enthusiasm oozing out of his pores.

"Shut up Ulrich, or I'm not going to let you do anything but _watch _me do everything."

He held up his hands in surrender, "I'll stir. I'll stir."

_2 tsp. baking powder_

"Here you go," she said, dumping some white powder into the bowl.

He glared at her, "What did you just put into my perfect mixture?"

She snorted, "You call that perfect? I see a lump the size of England in there."

"Well, it takes a while for things to get perfect. But you're changing the subject, _what _did you just throw into my perfectly balanced cake mix?"

"Another ingredient."

"Oh really?" he said, giving her the evil eye.

"Yes really," she held up the baking powder, "See Ulrich, it's just baking powder."

"Alright, so you got lucky this time, I'll be watching you," he warned, the entire performance was made light by the fact he couldn't keep the smile at bay.

She couldn't either, "I'll be getting watched."

_1 tsp vanilla_

"Yumi… why are you adding vanilla?"

"It's in the directions."

"You must be reading them wrong."

"Ulrich, I _can _read."

"But…" she gave him a look as if to tell him to spit it out, "That's vanilla."

She raised an eyebrow, "So?"

It was his turn to take the 'Odd tone', "This is a chocolate cake, why would you be adding _vanilla_?"

"Because, that's what Mrs. Field's says to do."

"But… that makes no sense."

Yumi stopped, put her hands on her hips, and turned to face him, "Ulrich, since when were you a culinary master?"

"Still," he said, evading the question and answering it simultaneously, "Think logically Yumes, does that make _any _sense?"

She faltered, "Erm… well…"

"Exactly," he replied, only slightly smug he had one upped Yumi.

"Oh Ulrich, shut up," she said, telling the corners of her mouth to go down. They simply wouldn't obey.

"You know Yumes, you shouldn't bake much, it makes you grumpy."

She shoved him.

_1/2 cup milk_

She was stirring furiously. Bent over the bowl. Hand moving around the bowl at a speed to rival rockets.

He leaned over top of her, still feeling the confidence of getting one better than the smartest girl he knew, "A dash of milk to cool it off."

"What?" she murmured distractedly.

"Milk."

She was quiet for a while, before coming back to her senses at alarming speed, "Did you _measure _that?"

No answer.

"Ulrich, you just _ruined _my cake!" she cried.

It seemed even physical contact couldn't stop Yumi's perfectionist nature.

_1/2 cup oil_

"Oil," Yumi said shortly.

"What about it?" he asked.

"We need some."

"Alright… do you want vegetable… canola… snake?"

She looked up from the bowl momentarily, "Snake?"

He shrugged, "I felt like I needed a third option."

"That's nice," Yumi said, ignoring the comment, "Just hand me the canola oil and back away slowly."

"But then who would you have to be your little helper?"

She glared, "Ulrich, oil."

"Fine, fine, here you go."

"Now, can you manage to measure half a cup?"

"I don't know, can I?"

Yumi returned to her stirring, "I think you can."

All was well and quiet for a few moments. Only a few precious moments… and then…

"Oops… Yumi… I don't think I can…"

"Ulrich!" she shrieked.

"That liquid pours so fast…"

_2 eggs_

Yumi watched as the yolk leaked all over her hands… and nothing but a lone egg shell slipped into her cake batter.

Ulrich smiled, off from the side, his fixed position during the attempt of baking, "Ha! I know how to do something you don't!"

"What's that?" she said, only slightly aggravated. 

"Crack an egg."

He walked over, took the egg out of her very hand- her very hand!- and with a quick flick of his wrist, cracked the egg shell perfectly in half, allowing the egg yolk to fall perfectly into the bowl.

Yumi glared from the side, hands folded, "I hate it when you do stuff like that."

He shrugged, "It's not that hard. You've seen how much of a screw-up I am in the kitchen, and _I _can do it."

"Well, yes, but you also can confuse oil with cocoa powder. It takes a special person to do _that_."

"Ha ha, it's not that hard," he took her hand and placed an egg in it, "And all you do is whack it against the side of a bowl, making sure to aim for the middle," he directed her hand, "And look… tada you have cracked an egg."

She blushed, "Erm… thank you…"

He blushed in response, "You're welcome," he muttered to himself, "You're _most _welcome…"

_Heat oven to 350°F_

Ulrich sat down opposite of Yumi, "So…"

"We have to wait a bit for the oven to heat up before we can put the cake in," she said, as she dipped a finger into the bowl, "It should take about ten minutes- it will beep so even _you _can't miss it."

"What are you doing?" he said, following her finger with his eyes, she popped it into her mouth.

"Eating the excess batter, you wouldn't want it to go to waste, would you?"

"No… but that's not healthy… it has _egg _in it Yumi. You could get _salmonella_."

She shrugged, "I've done it every other time I've baked a cake Ulrich, and I haven't gotten sick."

He sat for a few minutes, in silence, watching Yumi eat the batter.

"You better save some for me," he said finally.

She smiled impishly, "Sorry… all gone," she showed him the bowl for evidence.

He smiled, "Ah… but I see a bit…"

"Where?" she said, smiling innocently.

"Right there on your…"

"Oh this bit?" and with that, Yumi quickly flicked out her tongue and licked her lips.

He sighed dramatically, "Well, I didn't want to have to resort to this."

"Oh yeah?"

And without another word, he dove on top of her, mouth covering mouth, tongue searching for that last bit of chocolate.

_Bake for 25 minutes_

It was heating up fast.

When his lips were on hers, she felt like _she _was in a 350°F degree oven.

She felt _hot_.

_Let cool for 10 minutes_

She was gasping for air. She broke away.

"Ulrich…" she said softly.

"Hm?" he was in a _daze_.

"The cake…" she murmured as he leaned in for another kiss.

She pushed herself away from him, breathing heavily, as she went to get the cake out. She could feel his eyes on her all the way.

He couldn't help but wonder if he should ask for a glass of water, or just go and get one for himself.

_Cut the cake into a bunny shape_

"It's actually a rather silly thing when you think about it," she commented as she cut the cake, his arms were around her waist, and he was kissing her neck (he seemed to have finally found a position in the kitchen that worked for both of them), "Why do bunnies represent the rebirth of Christ?"

He shrugged, "Their adorable?"

"I mean, they don't even have anything to do with _eggs_."

He kissed her cheek, "It's silly," he murmured in agreement.

_Ice_

"Ulrich!" she said through giggles.

"I think the icing looks much better on you- you're rather adorable with a pink nose."

She rolled her eyes, "If you keep this up, we're not going to have an icing left for the cake."

He just smirked. He could think of plenty of other things he'd want to do with the icing.

_Preserve _

She walked him to the door, not wanting to say goodbye.

"So… erm… I'll see you later today…" he said, all the fun over a little to quickly for either of them. Reality came crashing down on them, cold and hard. 

"Yeah…" she said, hoping she didn't sound too disappointed.

She watched him walk down the steps.

He turned around, "Hey… would you like to go see a movie this Friday?"

She brightened instantly, "I'd love to."

He smiled back, walked up the steps, and left her with a kiss that gave her weak knees for days.


End file.
